


Renewal

by Brazendale



Category: Stephen Moyer - Fandom
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-05
Updated: 2014-02-05
Packaged: 2018-01-11 06:56:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1170029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brazendale/pseuds/Brazendale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is just a short one off story about life, loss, discovery and hope.</p><p>Read and enjoy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Renewal

**Author's Note:**

> As with all works under the Moyer inspired fan fiction collection I ask the reader to stretch their imagination and picture the story and the leading character there in to be played by The Moya.

 Part 1

‘Are you all done, for the third and final time?’ The auctioneer asked the obligatory question as his experienced eyes scrutinised the crowded room looking with hope but not expecting any last minute bids. After all there had not been that much interest in the old run down Georgian terrace property but still he was hoping for a better price for the vendor, if only for the selfish reason of a greater commission for himself but if truth be told, for once he didn’t really care all that much as he had already had a booming month and was quite pleased with his more than adequate bank balance.

In reality he actually wanted the sale to go to the pretty blonde whose bid just happened to be the highest at the moment. Something about her told him that she would make a good job of it once she got the place, even though she herself had admitted to him, when she had been through the house several weeks ago, that she had absolutely no idea of how she was going to manage the renovations. This was the first property that she had ever bought she had confided, well bought on her own that is. Without any facts but based on his personal knowledge and experience of life, he surmised that she had recently come into some money, a divorce more than likely, and on that score he was correct. New beginnings he said to himself, well good luck to her she seemed like a decent person and she wasn’t too hard on the eyes either for someone in their late thirties or even forties he guessed. .

‘If there are no further bids ladies and gentlemen,’ he queried looking around one last time before bringing down his gavel, ‘sold to bidder seven three four one. Congratulations Madame!’ He gave a small nod in her direction and noted the look of pleasure and relief on her face as she sat there with her friend hugging her in her excitement. She certainly seemed ecstatic for her. That was nice that someone cared he thought but back to the job at hand, there were other properties to sell so he moved on with it, thoughts of one hundred and forty eight Rutland Crescent fading as he began his next sale pitch. .

‘I can’t believe that you have done it. You have really done it, you bought a house. I am so excited for you Tess. I don’t know if you are brave or just plain batty but either way congrats, well done.’ Tess looked at her dearest friend, she really had a way with words and at times they were so inappropriate she laughed to herself but she didn’t care, right now for the first time in over a year she was flying high and on top of the world even though she was terrified at the prospect of owning a rundown renovator’s special, as the real estate agent had put it to her when he showed her the large rambling house in Rutland Crescent. Like Lucy said; she must be mad doing this but then what alternative did she have? Her divorce from Roger had come through nearly a year ago and it had taken her all this time to get to a place where she could finally move on and get on with her own life. 

All her friend’s heartily agreed. There was not one single one among them that didn’t silently cheer when she had filed for divorce, including all of his friends too who all seemed to support her and move their alliance to her after years of putting up with his moronic behaviour. For too long everyone, Tess included, had gone on turning a blind eye to his infidelity, his money making schemes that never reached their potential and his endless lies and excuses. No, everyone agreed it was the best thing for all concerned when he finally pushed her too far by dating some poor unsuspecting twenty something who he had picked up in the local pub, charmed his way into her pants, mesmerised her with his extreme good looks and smooth patter, and flaunted openly, not even bothering to be discreet. It was too much. 

She was burnt out with it all so it had taken her a year to heal, to get a modicum of self-esteem back. To finally accept that it was not her that was lacking in anyway. She had tried, god knows she had tried to make the marriage a success but it was doomed to failure for so long that the only surprise was that it had lasted as long as it had. But that was in the past now and time to renew and move on and begin to live again. That was what she needed, she needed renewal and that was what she was determined to have, and this was the first step. Foolish or not she was committed to go on after all, she had nothing left to loose did she. 

‘So what are your plans, you have made some plans haven’t you,’ Lucy asked in between sips of her drink at the little bar they both loved going to for a quiet drink and a catch up. ‘Oh yes, I have a ton of plans trust me. That’s all I have thought of from the moment that I saw the place. In fact I have that many plans that I can’t wait.’ ‘Are you going to move in straight away or well as soon as the renovations are finished? I know that you got that a quote from builders; did you find one that you can work with? When can he start? Tess I can’t wait for you to have a place of your own and settle down.’ She squeezed her hand and Tess laughed. ‘God I think that you are just as excited as I am.’ 

‘You know it’s odd but I do have builders lined up. From the minute that I walked in I knew that I had to have the place, like it was meant to be that I would get it at the auction. I could actually see myself living there. It was like I had come home, it really was the oddest feeling. It was kind of like there was no question in my mind that it was my destiny really.’ 

She shook her head remembering walking through each room, not seeing the wall paper hanging in tatters or the rising damp, and ignoring the mildewed carpet in multi technicolour tones, none of it matching anywhere in the whole house. Even the hideous mission brown and burnt orange coloured kitchen with its lime green and canary yellow wallpaper was not enough to dampen the feeling that this was the place that was somehow her future. No, none of it mattered because this was where life was taking her and she was up for the journey. 

‘They will start on the downstairs first. I want to get that finished as soon as possible. The sooner it is finished the sooner I can let it,’ Tess mused. The look of surprise on Lucy’s face at this news was one of astonishment. ‘Let it? You can’t be serious; you are going to let it? But aren’t you going to live there? I thought that was the whole idea that you were going to make this your home?’ ‘I am, I will live upstairs and let the ground floor. Let’s face it Lou, I need to have an income and after all the place is huge, it is far too big for just me so this will work out perfectly, I’ll have a regular income and still have my own place, what a plus. The builder drew up some plans that are just stunning. If it all comes off I will be set for life, it will be life changing,’ she smiled dreamily as she thought of how well things might work out. It was going to be perfect she hoped. 

Well fingers crossed. 

Part 2 

‘This is amazing, what a transformation. I can’t believe what you have accomplished in just four months. If I wasn’t with Bruce I would move in here in a flash.’ Lucy was walking around the ground floor apartment that was now completed and in record time too. It had been a dream renovation according to Mike the builder, everything had gone according to plan and the finished job was stunning. The place was looking like something out of one of those renovation shows, the ones where they show the “before” the renovation when the place was looking like a derelict bomb site then by the end of the program the “after” result when the finished project was looking like a showcase for modern living. That was exactly how it looked now. It was sleek and beautifully finished, a perfect balance of modern contemporary design melded with all the period features that Tess had insisted were to remain. 

‘So you are ready to let it?’ Lucy queried as she opened cupboards in the elegant kitchen and stood marvelling at the cook top and oven, all the latest appliances and no money spared. Tess laughed, ‘I already have a tenant. The real estate agent called me only this morning. They have been vetting potential clients for weeks now and have finally settled on someone after checking their background. So this is your last chance to have a poke around because from what they said it will be occupied as of the end of next week.’ ‘Wow, so soon? What about your apartment, how’s that going, it’s not finished yet is it? I love all the colours that you have chosen, you have bought this place alive, it is really quite stunning and what you have done with the master bedroom by the way, that featured panel you have as bed head, it’s fantastic,’ she added as she wondered around from one room to the next, ‘you have to give me Mike’s details, Bruce and I had been thinking of updating everything and now this has really made me want to even more. Mike must be a real gem.’

‘Actually I picked all the colours and the bedhead, well that was my idea,’ she modestly. ‘Even though Mike was against it when I told him I was going to do it, he had to eat his words when he saw it finished,’ she said proudly. ‘As for my apartment,’ Tess shook her head, ‘it’s looking a bit like a hurricane hit it at the moment. Mike has another job on that is urgent, a mate that had part of his roof collapse due to dodgy builders left him in the lurch with a wife and four kids and rain coming in so he has gone up north for a while to help out.’ 

‘He has done such a good job so far and I don’t want to lose him so I sort of insisted that he go and not worry about finishing with mine until he has time. So,’ she sighed and then laughed, ‘I might be living a bit like a refugee for a while yet. Ironical isn’t it when downstairs I will have a tenant living in the lap of luxury but that’s ok because at least I can go on doing some things myself. The bedroom just needs painting so I am going to have a crack at that myself, Mike has left me a ton of instructions and I did help out a bit downstairs so that I could get some experience, I know a lot about nail punches and putty and all things do to with polished floors but that is about it as far as hands on things go. I have a lot to learn but all in all I will be fine'.

Lucy looked troubled by this news but kept her mouth shut. She could think of a million reasons why this didn’t sound like a good idea but she had faith in Tess’s judgement so she let it slide. So far all the things that could have gone wrong hadn’t and she was really happy for Tess, after what she had been through she certainly deserved to have something going right for a change and if Tess wasn’t worried then why should she be. Still she hoped that she knew was she was doing, taking on a tenant, living in a half-finished renovation and all, that wasn’t her cup of tea but each to their own. 

Never the less what Tess had accomplished impressed the socks off her and that panel, it was a work of art. Who would have thought that Tess had it in her?

‘Anyway,’ Tess interrupted Lucy’s thoughts, ‘I won’t be here for a couple of weeks, Helen and Johannes have invited me down to Devon. I haven’t caught up with them since, well since the divorce, not a proper catch up and they have just shut up their Tuscany villa and are back home so I won’t be here when the tenant moves in and with a bit of luck Mike might even be back and working on finishing the upstairs by the time that I return. But really Lucy I don’t care how long it takes, I want it done properly so I am willing to slum it a bit to get it right. I have a roof over my head even if it is only bare unpainted plaster at that,’ she laughed. 

 

Tess spent nearly three weeks down the coast totally enjoying some of the most relaxing times she had ever had. Good friends, good food, good weather and plenty of long walks and days at the beach swimming and unwinding. It gave her a sense of freedom she hadn’t had since she was a kid really. Helen and Johannes were perfect company, intellectually stimulating, great fun and very understanding of where she was in her life and where she wanted to be. 

Since taking on the renovation she had found that she had a real flair and a knack for the task at hand so she confided to them that she was even thinking of taking some kind of a degree and maybe looking at making a kind of a living from doing this sort of thing. She had already taken a short course in interior decorating and renovating. Mike had recommended it after being impressed by the skills she had shown and her enthusiasm and she had come through the subjects she had already taken with flying colours, so much so that her teacher had suggested going further with it too and gave her some ideas of what would be the right avenues to investigate if she was serious about pursuing it. 

Throwing on some comfortable old shorts and a battered old Stones t shirt for the long drive home, she thanked her hosts profusely and promised an invitation to dinner the next time they were up in town. On her way back she had stopped off at the hardware and spent nearly an hour in deep discussion with the paint expert there on the pros and cons of painting techniques and various colour schemes she was thinking of for her bedroom before finally settling on her original choice of Chinese red lacquer for the feature wall that her bed would be placed against, and a golden caramel colour for the other walls with an almost black tone for the picture rails and other features including the old original working fireplace mantel and surrounds. 

She wanted the room to be exotic and erotic though god knows why, no one but her was ever going to see it. She was done with men and they were done with her she assumed, still that didn’t stop her. For once in her life she wanted to feel good about herself and this was all part of the freedom that she now had. She was her own woman at last.

Juggling her overnight bag, tins of paint and bags of rollers, brushes and masking tape, she stopped abruptly in the hall way when she got in. She heard the faint sound of music filtering out of the downstairs apartment and she stopped to listen. It wasn’t because it was loud that she stopped but it was the tune that had bought her to a standstill. She could only just make it out but it had caught her attention. 

It was a song that she had always loved but that Roger had hated so she had never played it when he was home, keeping it for those times when she was on her own and she could guiltily indulge herself by putting on the stereo and blasting out all the music that she loved and he loathed. She would spend happy hours dancing around the house cleaning or ironing, doing all the chores that she didn’t have time to do during the day because she was working full time, let’s face it she had to work because god knows that he hardly ever did, he was always too busy off trying to get his get rich schemes up and running and of course they always came to nothing. The music got her through her weariness and those bad days when life became so intolerable that she could scream or curl up in a little ball and cry. 

A smile crept across her face. Well at least she knew that her new tenant had good taste in music, oh and that they had moved in but that was all she knew as the real estate agent had promised to send details of all the particulars but it hadn’t arrived before she left for Devon, so really she had no clue as to who it was or any other particulars. She trusted the agent to have found someone suitable and hoped like hell that they hadn’t let her down. 

She hadn’t admitted it to anyone else, not even Lucy, but the thought of sharing her home with a total stranger had been a bit daunting. What if they didn’t get on, what if they cooked something disgusting night after night and the smell wafted up to her place. She laughed at the thought, cooking smells were probably a minor issue compared to having a tenant from hell that played loud music, held raucous parties or turned her beautiful newly landscaped garden that she has worked so hard on and was so proud of into something that resembled a tip. 

Well so far so good, the music wasn’t too loud and at least the place hadn’t been trashed in her absence thankfully she thought, struggling up the stairs. As she got half way up to her apartment the strap on her overnight bag began slipping out of her fingers and because she was juggling the tins of paint and other bags in her right hand, before she knew it the stuffed overnight bag slipped through her fingers completely and went rolling down the stairs landing with a loud thud at the bottom. ‘Oh hell, dam it, shit,’ she exclaimed loudly. Almost immediately a head popped out of the downstairs apartment door and she was standing there looking down into the bluest pair of eyes she had ever seen. 

‘Hi there, do you need a hand? Here, let me help you,’ a soft well-spoken voice floated up to her where she was attempting to keep a firm grip on her other bits and pieces while contending with her handbag as it slipped off her shoulder. The voice was accompanied by a dazzling smile. She stood there and gaped. ‘Hi I am Jude,’ he said as he dashed up to her, the overnight bag in one hand and reaching out with his other, he took the rest of her gear out of her hands. ‘Thanks, thanks so much. I am Tess.’ ‘Hello Tess, great to meet you finally. I wasn’t sure when you were coming back. The agent said that you were away so I have been keeping an eye on things until you got home but it’s all been pretty quiet really.’ ‘Oh umm thanks, that’s really good of you,’ she stammered, unable to take her eyes off him. He was stunning. 

He turned and went up the stairs in front of her and all she could do was ogle him from behind and what a behind he had she was thinking, emotions stirring in places that hadn’t been stirred for years. She rolled her eyes at the thought of the view that she had. God woman, pull yourself together.

Part 3 

When they got to the upstairs landing Jude stopped and waited while she fumbled in her handbag for her keys. ‘Sorry, I seem to be all fingers and thumbs today. I guess I am still in holiday mode,’ she made light of her clumsiness. 

He gave her another dazzling smile. ‘Well in that case you are forgiven then. I know what that is like, I’m on holidays too. I decided to take a month off. Give myself time to settle in, unpack and acclimatise to the area. You know, get my bearings, find all the best places to go and all that but so far I haven’t really ventured out past the supermarket,’ he laughed easily. He was so friendly and chatty. Tess hadn’t expected that from a tenant, she hadn’t really thought about that side of having someone sharing her house. She had assumed that they would just pass each other with as occasional nod, perhaps run into each other on the odd occasion when she worked on their shared garden but in general have very little to do with each other. The rent would be paid directly to the agent and so contact would be limited. She now realised that this had been a pretty naïve outlook. 

‘You don’t think… would it be too much of an imposition to give me a few suggestions,’ he continued on. ‘I love going to dinner so I am looking for somewhere nice around here. I get so sick of cooking for myself night after night. Perhaps if you aren’t busy sometime you could show me around? I know that it’s a bit much seeing that we only just met but well, I don’t know the area at all really and I am feeling a little lost to be honest.’ His face clouded over with a frown as he hurriedly added, ‘Oh god I am sorry, I shouldn’t have imposed on you like that, I have put you on the spot and you have just arrived back home and here am I a total stranger asking for favours. Look I’ll just put you bags inside for you and then leave you in peace.’ 

‘No, it’s ok really I don’t mind, I’d be happy to show around,’ Tess smiled, who wouldn’t, he was one good looking guy and he seemed nice. ‘No problem, I agree it gets so boring cooking for yourself. Sometimes I just can’t be bothered and end up settling for baked beans on toast.’ He laughed at that, relating to what she was saying. ‘There’s nothing wrong with baked beans of toast as long as the toast has lashings of butter,’ he was smiling again now that she had put him at ease. ‘Of course, and HP sauce too,’ she laughed. ‘Naturally that goes without saying.’

They stood for a few moments staring at each other and smiling, his blue eyes drinking in her face, her aquamarine eyes sparkling in response before she blushed under his gaze. ‘Thanks for your help,’ she almost stammered, suddenly embarrassed by his scrutiny but at the same time wallowing in it. She turned and unlocked the door and opened it. ‘Where would you like it?’ he asked innocently enough referring to her overnight bag. ‘Could you put it in the bedroom please, it’s down the hall second door on the right. I just need to wash up I’m a bit grubby, won’t be a minute.’ 

She turned away before he could see her face blush an even deeper shade of crimson as she thought of his words; “where would you like it,” lord on the floor, the couch, anywhere in fact that he wanted. She shook her head at the thought. Was he kidding? Was that a loaded question or was it just her hormones raging at the sight of such a gorgeous guy. She was in a dither and it shocked and surprised her. She hadn’t reacted like that to anyone since she was a teenager and had met Roger. For gods sakes pull yourself together Tess she told herself. He’s just a guy that happens to be living down stairs and you know absolutely nothing about him. 

‘Your layout is a bit different to mine,’ his voice floated down the hallway from the bedroom. I like your en-suite, it would be really handy having a full length tub. It’s a spa too isn’t it?’ ‘Umm yes it is, I haven’t used it yet as they only finished the tiling the day before I went down the coast,’ she yelled out as she quickly ran to the main bathroom, washed her hands and tried to fluff up her hair to make herself more presentable but gave up. The bubble she was burst when she took one look at herself in the mirror and decided that she looked like a cross between an unmade bed and a bag lady. 

She sighed to herself and picking up the paint tins he had left in her hallway, she took them with her down to the bedroom calling out as she walked, ‘Do you want me to put a bigger bath in downstairs, I can if you need one? The only reason that we put the smaller one is was so there would be a separate shower instead of one over the bath as your en-suite is a bit smaller, the layout is a bit different because you have the added advantage of having the private conservatory.’

He was standing by the window looking down into the garden when she walked in, his profile in silhouette, the sun steaming through the window behind him catching the glints of coppery highlights in his auburn hair, his blue eyes clear and twinkling as he turned and looked at her. ‘No really I wouldn’t change a thing. I really love the place. I had been looking for so long for something like this and I couldn’t believe my luck when the agent rang and said that I got it. It’s perfect really. Trust me I had looked at a lot of places that frankly were just terrible but this, what you have done with it is dam great.’ 

‘You have a great view of the garden from up here,’ he went on as he turned and looked out the window, ‘I will have to remember not to go sunbathing without covering up,’ he said laughing but somehow she had the feeling that he really meant it, that he was in the habit of sunbaking nude and was comfortable with his body. Without thinking her eyes ran over him taking in the way that just a hint of man fur peeped out from the V of his navy coloured top that clung to his muscular body in all the right places, and the way his jeans sat low on his hips showing off his package to perfection. A shiver ran through her whole body. It was ridiculous that she was even thinking about that sort of thing but there it was, it had been so long since she had felt anything and she suddenly realised that she wanted to, she wanted to feel like a woman again instead of a worthless chattel. 

Part 4 

She hadn’t been attracted like this to anyone since she had met Roger when she was eighteen she kept telling herself, it was a natural reaction to appreciate a fine looking man when you see one she rationalised. All those years she had been faithful to Roger despite his infidelity, all those long wasted years that she had never even looked at another man and had never even thought about being unfaithful, it was all for nothing, she had wasted half her life on a dream. And it wasn’t because she hadn’t had offers herself either because she had. There had been plenty and even Roger had admitted that she was attractive. 

Ha, she had never realised that he had actually paraded around with her on his arm like a trophy because he said she was good looking, she never saw herself that way. It came as such a shock to her when after they split up Bruce, Lucy’s beloved husband, told her how it was. He was the closest thing that Roger had left to a mate as he had hit everyone up for so much money that none of his old friends would have anything to do with him really and they only stayed in touch for Tess’s sake. When Bruce told her that Roger had admitted that he had only married her to have someone that he could show off, someone “hot to trot” as he put it, on his arm, she was mortified. It was all part of his ego boosting psyche that he had found this attractive bird and he had made it very clear to all and sundry that she was his and his alone, but that wasn’t enough to stop him from looking elsewhere. 

What a fool she had been to not see years ago the reality of the situation but it was because she didn’t believe in herself enough, she never had, she would always see herself not as others saw her but as she labelled herself and Roger had done nothing to change that. He had only made her issues worse. Telling her what she could and couldn’t wear, how to do her hair and even how to put on her make-up. He controlled her and like a fool she had let him because she had believed he loved her. That was what got to her the most. How can someone tell you on one hand that they find you such a turn on, that you love them and then on the other hand go off with all the girls that he seemed to pick up? It simply didn’t make sense to her and had utterly destroyed her ego and self-confidence. 

She snapped out of her thoughts to find Jude was giving her the once over in as discreet way as possible. ‘You will have to excuse the mess I am in right now,’ she was feeling totally embarrassed by what she considered her dowdy appearance, ‘the place is a bit of a shambles really; a bit like me I am afraid.’ Much to her disbelief she realised his eyes were drinking her in her legs in her shorts and running over her body. Not with some smarmy degrading look but with an appreciation in his eyes. She looked away trying to hide the elation on her face. It had been a hell of a long time since anyone she had fancied had looked at her like that and made her feel good. Her heart skipped a beat. 

‘Oh I don’t know, you look pretty good to me,’ he cleared his throat embarrassed; he hadn’t intended to say that out loud, it had just slipped out. She was pushing all his buttons and it had been a long time since he had felt anything remotely stirring in that department after what he had been through. ‘You still have a lot of work to do up here though,’ he looked around in an attempt to hide his now obvious interest in her. ‘Yes, Mike my builder is helping out a mate so I am mucking through at the moment. I am going to start painting in here though rather than waiting for him, everything is prepped so at least I will have one room totally completed. I might also tackle the en-suite too.’ ‘Is that the paint for here? Can I see it, what colours did you choose?’ he asked genuinely interested. 

She opened the tins and he looked impressed. ‘Wow, they are sure going to look stunning. You have a good eye,’ he said admiringly, ‘that is a really great palette. I would love to see it when it’s finished. I am sure it is going to look wonderful. You know if you like I could give you a hand,’ he offered, ‘I am quite handy when it comes to hands on stuff like this.’ Her eyes immediately went to his hands. They were beautifully shaped with long elegant fingers and manicured to perfection. There was something sensual about them, something compelling if that made sense. ‘That’s really very kind of you. Are you sure, I mean you said that you were on holidays, the last thing I would want is to put you to work?’ He smiled. ‘Really it’s no biggie and besides, seeing that I will be working from home I can come up anytime and lend a hand, if you would like it that is?’ he queried. 

‘I didn’t realise that you will be working from home, if you don’t mind me asking what do you do for a living?’ ‘I am a freelance graphic artist, I do all kinds of work, magazines, TV ads, you name it I do it.’ She was impressed. ‘TV, is there anything that you have done that I would have seen?’ He attempted to look modest. ‘Well do you remember a few years back the Jenson buttons ad?’ A look of recognition spread across her face. ‘I loved that ad; it was so clever the way all the chocolate buttons looked. Did you do that? You know I must have bought packets and packets of them and all because of that ad, you should be really chuffed. I don’t know anyone that hasn’t become addicted to them and all because of you. Clever… very clever.’ She was totally impressed by his talent. He blushed under her praise, the colour creeping up his neck and across his face. ‘Thank you. I did have fun doing that one,’ he admitted. 

‘Are you sure about helping out? I have to admit that I haven’t done a lot of painting. I am not even sure if I bought the right rollers or how to use them. I have the feeling that the guy in the shop saw me coming.’ She picked up a roller from the bag and walked over to the wall laughing. ‘You know I actually got into a bit of an argument today at the hardware with the salesman about the right way and wrong way to paint a wall. I always thought that you paint in panels, you know doing a bit at a time like this,’ she moved the roller up and down the wall showing him what she meant but he shook his head and walked over to where she was standing. 

‘No, here I’ll show you. I had a professional painter show me this years ago and it has helped me enormously when I renovated the flat that I used to have.’ He stood behind her and he placed his hand over hers so that he could control her arm as he moved it first this way then that, stretching her arm and leaning against her back as he reached over, ‘It’s all in the rhythm, like this,’ he moved his body with a fluidity that she could feel against her. ‘Try not to stiffen up, just let yourself flow with the movement and you will find that it works a lot better and you won’t get as tired.’ 

She could feel the heat from his body against her, the flat muscles of his chest and abdomen pressing along the length of her and that wasn’t all that she felt. She could feel his arousal through his jeans. Combined with the faint scent of his aftershave, she was in overload and went weak at the knees. He broke away embarrassed as all hell. Being that close to her and feeling the soft contours of her body as he leant into her was too much. She had such a wonderful body he had noticed, perfect in fact and it had been a long time since he had been that close to a woman and never one like Tess. She was sensational in his eyes. 

‘Look,’ she suddenly said in an attempt to diffuse the situation, ‘I feel really bad not offering you something to drink, a tea or coffee,’ she rambled hastily, ‘however I don’t have any supplies in the house and I had intended to go out and grab a few bits and pieces but,’ she glanced at her watch and realised that it was later than she thought, ‘well I didn’t realise that it was getting on for dinner.’ He looked at his watch too and was surprised. ‘Hell I am sorry, I have kept you from getting on with things and you must be wanting your dinner after a long drive, I am so sorry, how about you let me make it up to you by taking you out for a drink and a bite to eat? And besides, you would be doing me a huge favour by showing me somewhere decent, I didn’t really feel like cooking tonight, how about it?’ he asked looking hopefully at her and praying that she didn’t think he was some kind of a creep after what had just happened. 

She thought about his offer for a moment. This was not something that she had foreseen when she had decided to rent the place out but then she hadn’t expected anything that had happened to her since she met Roger. She did a mental shrug and threw caution to the wind, she could see that he was just as embarrassed about things as she was and after all, her body had reacted in just the same was as his had but he just didn’t know it. And despite her caution she was pretty thrilled. ‘Ok on one condition,’ she insisted, ‘you let me have a shower and get cleaned up, give me half an hour, agreed?’ ‘Sure you’ve got it Tess,’ he grinned as walked back through the apartment and turned to look back at her when he reached the front door, ‘and Tess,’ he added, ‘thanks.’ With that he was gone and she was left standing there thinking what the hell was she doing but more importantly right then was what the hell was she going to wear? She had no idea but she would think of something in the shower so now she had better get a move on if she was going to be ready in half an hour. 

This was turning into a very interesting day she smiled to herself, very interesting.

Part 5 

‘This is great; I love the ambience of the place.’ Jude was looking around with a smile on his face. ‘Do you come here often?’ he laughed, ‘sorry that sounds terrible, like some kind of cheap clichéd pick up line doesn’t it, but you know what I mean?’ Tess laughed too. ‘This is probably my favourite place in the area. The bar is cool and the restaurant section does great food no matter what your tastes are. I have to admit I come here more than I should probably.’ 

She was feeling pretty comfortable now that the mad rush to get ready was over and she had seen his reaction when she walked downstairs, knocked on his door and he got a look at her in a little black number that she hadn’t worn in years. She hadn’t had time to wash her hair so she had swept it up in a kind of loose French twist, plonked on some dangly jet and gold coloured earrings and matching chain that had a gold heart in the centre, and grabbed a pair of stilettos from the back of her wardrobe that she hoped she could manage to walk in. It had been a long time since she wore heels that high. 

His eyes nearly popped when he opened his door to find her standing there looking edible. He was nervous, after all this was the first time he had “gone out” with anyone other than Josie for years, but one look at Tess and a whole different set of emotions swept through him. ‘You look… stunning.’ She wasn’t sure how to take this, was he surprised that she scrubbed up so well, her insecurity getting the better of her as always. She didn’t know but she was sure hoping that he liked what he saw. Finding her voice she smiled at him, ‘You look pretty good too,’ her eyes showed her appreciation for him dressed in a pair of dark navy pants and matching silk shirt. Navy was sure his colour, it made his eyes look even more amazing than they already were. 

‘Would you like me to drive?’ She wasn’t used to being asked what she would or wouldn’t like, she was used to being told what she was going to do even though she hated it so Jude, with his thoughtfulness, was like heaven on a stick. ‘Sure that would be great.’ And it was, it was even better when she realised that his car was an Austen Martin bought from the proceeds of his last successful job. 

Once they got to the bar they fell into an easy conversation, getting to know a bit about each other, comfortable with each other’s company. ‘So tell me Tess, tell me about yourself. Can I make a guess and assume that your Mum liked Thomas Hardy?’ She laughed. ‘Spot on, Tess of the D’Urbervilles was one of her favourite books and she told me that she had always planned that if she had a girl she would call her Tess. What about you, did your Mum have a thing for The Mill on the Floss and consequently called you Jude, was she a George Eliot fan?’ 

‘No, nothing like that at all actually. She was a Beatles fan and because she had a rather tough pregnancy with me she always said that for some reason the song Hey Jude helped her through it at the time, so I ended up being called Jude. She said it was played constantly on the radio for nearly the whole time she was carrying me and she used to sing it to me to soothe me when she was feeling particularly uncomfortable or sick. Funny but I still love it when I hear it and always think of her when it comes on the radio.’ 

‘You know I will never hear that song now without thinking of you,’ she murmured quietly, looking at his beautiful face and picturing a young pregnant mother waiting expectantly for the birth of a much loved child, cradling her belly while softly crooning to it. Her face softened and tears sprang to her eyes at the thought. ‘She loved you, I can tell.’ He nodded. ‘I was lucky, both my parents were wonderful. I had a great childhood and they had a wonderful marriage.’ She nodded. ‘I did too; my parents loved us kids and loved each other tremendously. They had a great marriage really.’ ‘You’re not married?’ he asked, he had already checked out her left hand and noticed that she wasn’t wearing a ring but that didn’t mean anything these days. ‘No, I was but well…I am divorced now.’ Se flinched as she said it. He noticed it and was regretting asking. ‘Sorry I didn’t mean to pry, really I didn’t.’ She looked at him and saw that he was being sincere when he said that he was sorry and she felt bad that she had made him uncomfortable. 

‘It’s ok Jude, really I am just not used to well talking about it. To be honest this is the first time that I have gone out with a man since the divorce so it’s a bit weird.’ She looked at him hoping he would understand and he did, he appreciated her candour, it made her seem more sensitive, and really just as vulnerable as he was. And he was very vulnerable. ‘Come to think of it, this is the first time that I have gone out with someone other than my ex for years.’ He nodded his head, he could relate to that. He seemed to be able to relate to a lot of things that Tess said. 

‘What about you, are you…‘ a sudden thought went through her mind, oh hell, he was artistic, considerate and sweet, I bet he is gay, I bet today was just some kind of an aberration, ‘are you with anyone?’ she asked, not noticing that she was holding her breath waiting for his response. ‘Widowed, my wife died about eight years ago,’ he answered quietly, a fleeting look of anguish disappearing as he swallowed and looked straight ahead. 

‘Oh god, I am so sorry,’ she stammered feeling terrible about his revelation and any memories she may have stirred up. ‘Tess, it’s ok really but you can see why I understand how you feel,’ he was saying as he went on, ‘because this is the first time that I have “been out” as you put it, with another woman in a long time too.’ They had so much in common he realised and it was rather ironical that they both seemed to have been through the wringer. He had never really talked to anyone about what had happened to him. He had never really had anyone to talk to or that he felt he actually trusted enough to open up to but he felt a compassionate side, a kindred spirit in Tess that moved him enough to share his past with her. So he sat there and told her about his life and bared his soul to her. 

Jude had met Josie, his wife, at school he explained. Even as a teenager she had issues. She had been the product of alcoholic parents with a father that had abused her physically and mentally, and siblings that spent most of their time in and out of trouble. It was little wonder that she was as complicated as they come. Jude, being the type of compassionate person that he was, even from a young age, took her under his wing through high school, drifting into a more permanent relationship as they got older. He was convinced that if he could show her love and affection, give her a different life from the one that she had been dragged up in, then all her demons would vanish and she would be whole again for the first time in her life. He desperately wanted to show her that the world can be a wonderful place and he thought that his love for her would break her away from the dark pit that she sometimes descended into at times. But sadly it didn’t work out like that. 

The night that he came home from work late and found her in a comatose state after taking a cocktail of her medication, that was one of the worst nights of his life he had thought at the time, little knowing that there was there was more to come. She was choking on her own vomit when he found her, her oxygen supple cut off so that even if she did regain consciousness there was no guarantee that she would not be impaired. It was his decision to turn off life support after the doctors gave him no hope for recovery and when they did, it took three and a half agonising days before she finally found the peace that even he hadn’t been able to give her. 

That was nearly eight years ago now and he had stopped living with his remorse a long time ago. He had accepted that sometimes, no matter what you do or however much you care or love someone, there is nothing that will chase away the past if they are not ready or able or simply don’t want to let it go. He had gotten on with his life and thrown himself into a successful career but lately he had needed something more from life than just his work. He had so much more to give in him so he had decided to uproot himself, move to somewhere totally new and see where life would take him. And there it was, it took him to Rutland Crescent and to Tess. 

Tess sat silently digesting his story before telling him of her life so far. She shared everything with him, the dashed hopes of a dream that never quite came to fruition, the self-doubts and insecurities that had arisen from the shambles she felt her life had become before finally taking the ultimate plunge and divorcing Roger. The desperate need to find something that would make her life seem worthwhile amongst the emptiness that it had become and her hopes that throwing herself into the house and perhaps some kind of career in renovating would lead her to a place where she could look back in the future and say that she hadn’t wasted her life. 

She nodded sympathetically knowing in her heart that it was what he too was seeking. She picked up her glass and saluted saying, ‘Well here’s to us, new beginnings for both of us.’ 

And it was. That night, after sharing an enjoyable meal and after sharing their triumphs and pain, both of them so comfortable with each other that they were happy opening up and talking for hours of their past, they then returned home. They had not intended to do anything other than have a cup of coffee and a nightcap when they went upstairs to Tess’s apartment but one thing led to another and while they sat on her couch, amongst the chaos of her incomplete apartment, they found each other in the most fundamental way. Their coming together unleashed a passion that both of them never thought they would find and one that would go on for the rest of their lives. 

Tess didn’t need to add a full length bathtub down stairs to the en-suite after all. Why would she when Jude moved up stairs after the renovations they both agreed on were completed, including turning half the ground floor apartment into offices and a studio for their new business venture together which combined Jude’s artistic talents and Tess’s flair for renovation, quickly becoming a highly successful consultancy specialising in restoration of older houses. It was a marriage made in heaven really. Oh and yes, they got married too. That was years ago now and every day that they shared their lives together they thanked whatever spirits or gods that there are out there for the day that the auction hammer had fallen and their lives had changed. 

They both had found renewal. 

Finis


End file.
